Fall TV Preview: The Simpsons

Season 22 begins with the sound of music: At art camp, Lisa meets two inspiring counselors played by Flight of the Conchords’ Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. ”They do this song about how great it is to be an artist, and then she visits them in Springfield’s version of Brooklyn, called Sprooklyn, and their lives aren’t as good as they made out,” says exec producer Al Jean. Glee’s Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, and Amber Riley also pop up in that episode, singing a version of ”Good Vibrations.” In Halloween’s ”Treehouse of Horror XXI,” Lisa falls for a Twilight-ful vampire played by Daniel Radcliffe, while House’s Hugh Laurie rocks a Dead Calm spoof. (Other guest stars this season include Jon Hamm, Halle Berry, and Ricky Gervais.) Fans will get a special treat in the Christmas episode, when baby Maggie has a Muppets fantasy featuring Simpsons characters as live-action puppets. ”Moe tries to eat cookies like Cookie Monster,” notes Jean. ”He says, ‘Great at the chewing — not so great at the swallowing.”’ SEPT. 26